


Home (The Long Way Round)

by teaandtumblr



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Fluff, Found Family, Friendship, Gen, Nostalgia, Post-Kingdom Hearts III, Reunions, Twilight Town
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-26
Updated: 2019-02-26
Packaged: 2019-11-05 23:40:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17928572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teaandtumblr/pseuds/teaandtumblr
Summary: They knew this town, all three of them did, but Roxas’ connection went that little bit deeper, Axel could see it. Yes, he and Xion had spent so much time with him in this very place but Roxas hadlivedhere. He had had a home, friends, secret hideouts, inside jokes. People on the street had known him. He’d had enemies and rivals, people who bolstered him and those that tore him down. Twilight Town was more his than it would ever be theirs.And it was time to re-establish those connections.





	Home (The Long Way Round)

**Author's Note:**

> so this came to me the night I finished Kingdom Hearts III...I just took awhile to write it XD

  
  


***

 

“I…”

Axel paused, turning with a frown. His frown only deepened at Roxas’ conflicted expression. “Oh come on. Really? Now? An hour ago you were all for this!”

Roxas’ eyes dropped to the ground. “I know. It’s just...Even though they look the same, and sound the same...these aren’t my friends Axel.” A hand gripped his chest. “They don’t share my memories.”

“Well, I suppose that means you’ll have to go and make new ones.”

Roxas’ head snapped up, Axel laughing while Xion smiled on sadly. He struggled a little when Axel started to tug him off the Gummi Ship but it wasn’t earnest. Axel knew what _that_ was like. Roxas was as stubborn as a mule when he wanted to be. 

“Do you...really think it’s that simple? They might not even like me.”

“Roxas…” Xion murmured worriedly.

Axel groaned. “Roxas, Roxas, come _on!_ They liked you once, they’ll like you again! Plus, _I_ like you and I’m the coolest guy around. If you meet my high standards, you’ll met theirs.”

Roxas hesitated before, “I don’t know. Your standards seem kinda low…”

“Why you-!”

Axel made a faux grab, relieved when Roxas laughed - no easy feat. He sighed, reaching out a ruffling his friend’s hair, ignoring the protests that got him. “And besides, you’re here now. We should go say hello.”

Roxas sobered, thinking for a moment before finally nodding. “Yeah, but first…” 

Roxas gently took Axel’s hand off his arm before walking across the station square, staring out over the sea. He breathed in deeply, eyes falling shut. Axel smiled sadly at the single tear that rolled down Roxas’ face. It had been too long for him. Too long for all of them.

“Axel. Xion. Am I...really here?”

Axel turned to Xion, who took that as her cue. She nodded, stepping up beside Roxas and leaning over the railing too. “You are. Roxas, you’re home.”

Roxas’ hands trembled. “Home? I never...I never thought I’d get one.”

Axel curled a hand over his shoulder. “You’ve got one now. Now come on; we’ve gotta meet your friends.”

Instead of balking away, this time Roxas nodded. There was that look in his eye, the one Axel had always associated with him; the look of pure determination. A look that said that now that he had started, nothing was going to stop him. His mind was made up. 

Xion pushed off the railing, sending Roxas a smile. “So, where do you think everyone will be?”

Roxas didn’t need to think on that, feet already taking him down a path ingrained in his memory. They knew this town, all three of them did, but Roxas’ connection went that little bit deeper, Axel could see it. Yes, he and Xion had spent so much time with him in this very place but Roxas had _lived_ here. He had had a home, friends, secret hideouts, inside jokes. People on the street had known him. He’d had enemies and rivals, people who bolstered him and those that tore him down. Twilight Town was more his than it would ever be theirs. 

And it was never more obvious than it was now, watching Roxas slip down alleyways before coming to a stop outside an area tucked behind a fence. 

“We used to come here,” Roxas murmured, carefully avoiding both their gazes. “Every day...during summer vacation we would meet here.”

“So go in,” Axel urged, nudging him enough that Roxas stumbled. His expression turned into something that was a cross between a scowl and a pout. “Oh drop the look. _Go_.”

Roxas hesitated one second longer before nodding. Taking a deep breath, Roxas pushed open the curtain, letting himself into what was once his and his friends’ secret hideout. The voices inside abruptly stopped, three very familiar figures whipping around. Hayner’s hands balled into fists before uncurling, mouth dropping open ever so slightly. “Roxas…?”

Roxas smiled tightly. “Yeah. It’s...I…”

His next words were cut off as Hayner near barreled him over as he hugged him. Olette and Pence were right behind Hayner, holding Roxas close. He looked between them all in confusion before his composure cracked, shoulders shaking.

“Oh no,” Pence said, waving his hands in a panic. “Dude, don’t cry; it’s okay!”

“Don’t be like that,” Olette scolded, reaching up and thumbing away a tear. “Sora told you what Roxas has been through. I’m sure this has to be a lot.”

“I just...I don’t understand,” Roxas admitted, looking between them all. “You don’t even know me.”

Hayner scoffed, arms folding tightly. “You think I’d make friends with a loser? No matter what version of me I am, I only have the best friends. You make the cut with one Hayner, you make the cut with them all!”

“And besides, I think we _do_ know you,” Olette added, Roxas blinking in surprise. She offered him a gentle smile. “I don’t know how, but I feel like I already know you. In here.” Her hand rested against her heart, Pence nodding.

“Yeah, I kinda feel the same way.”

“Well, that’s just nonsense to me,” Hayner cut in, rolling his eyes. “But still, come on,” he said, waving Roxas over to the worn out couches they had, Axel and Xion clearly welcome as well. “So maybe I don’t know you, but _you_ know me. Tell us everything. Right from the start.”

 

***

 

Hours passed before Roxas was done, being urged to continue every time he’d faltered or clearly thought people might be getting bored. But none of them had been. These were memories even Axel and Xion didn’t know and Axel wanted nothing more than to hear them. He laughed along when Hayner looked indignant at some of the fights he and Roxas had had, cringed when Roxas’ world had started to fall apart and no one could see it but him. But most of all, he’d cried along with everyone when Roxas had sacrificed himself so Sora could be whole again.

“And then you met Sora,” Roxas finished. “Well, I mean, this version of you met Sora. I guess your other versions never did.”

He then yelped when a finger poked him between the eyes, Hayner standing over him and scowling. “Stop the look. I can already tell you’re thinking too hard! Thinking about this version of us and that version of us and let me tell you, you and me, we’re friends now. In this universe and in _every_ universe! And so is everyone else here so lighten up.”

“Yeah, that’s not really Roxas’ thing,” Axel snorted, only grinning wider when Roxas shot him a look. “This sour face never smiles.”

“I do so,” Roxas mumbled, arms folding and turning away grumpily.

“Hmm, maybe not,” Pence said, tone clearly teasing. “You’re not even smiling in this photo.”

Roxas whipped around, fingers stopping just short of the edge of the photograph in Pence’s hand. He remembered it, remembered it being taken. And here it was now; proof that all his stories weren’t just stories, that they were real. 

“You can have it,” Pence whispered, placing it in Roxas’ lap like he knew how much this meant to him. “We can take plenty more but this one...this one is yours.”

Roxas swallowed against the lump in his throat. “Thanks Pence.”

“Heh, no problem!”

Roxas held the photo close, silence reigning until the clock above the station started to toll. Axel counted ten bongs, wincing. He looked at Hayner, Pence, and Olette pointedly. “I think that means you three had better get home.”

They all slumped accordingly before Olette straightened. “Oh, but what about you guys? Are you...will you stay here?”

Axel glanced at Roxas, saw the indecision on his face, and cut in before he could. “Of course. For a while, anyway. Plus, I told Roxas he could make new memories with you. If that’s alright with you guys?”

“Of course it is!”

“That sounds great!” Pence echoed.

“Yeah, count me,” Hayner finished, getting to his feet and flicking Roxas in the temple. “So, you lived here, right? Where?”

Roxas blinked up at him. “Oh. Yeah, that’s...I can show you?”

“That’d be amazing,” Pence said, almost bouncing on his toes. “Do you think someone lives in Roxas’ house? What if one of _us_ lives in it?”

“Like that’d ever happen,” Hayner drawled. “Roxas’ town was based off of ours. I bet our homes are the same too.”

Roxas nodded, Axel pulling him to his feet and nudging him. Xion gave him a warm smile. “I’m curious too Roxas.”

That seemed to do the trick and they set out, Roxas leading the way through town. More than once he stopped, almost unconsciously, drawn by a memory and eyes lingering. They waited patiently each time, sometimes asking, sometimes not. Xion’s hand on Axel’s arm had confused him until he realised what she was doing:

Giving Roxas space.

The three of them were friends, always would be, but they hadn’t been a part of this time in Roxas’ life. And they had to let him go so he could experience it again. He slipped in so seamlessly too. In that aspect, Roxas reminded Axel of Sora. Always welcome, wherever they went. 

“This was my house,” Roxas finally said, pointing up at the second floor of a terraced house. “My bedroom was there. It faced out onto the ocean.”

“So who lives here in this world?” Axel asked, curious but still hanging back.

“Would you believe it’s no one’s?” Olette said, tone giddy. “It’s been empty for almost a year!”

“Long enough for me,” Roxas murmured, hand resting against the door.

“Look, I gotta run,” Hayner said, scuffing his foot awkwardly. “We’re probably all gonna get it as it is, _but!_ ” he added sharply. “You be here tomorrow, okay? We’re coming here straight after school and you better be here!”

“I will be.”

Hayner frowned, holding out a hand. “Promise?”

Roxas shook it confidently, nodding just once. “Promise.”

 

***

 

“Do I need to tell Roxas you’re spying on him?”

Axel chuckled under his breath, though not without gesturing to where Xion was sleeping in a clear ask for quiet. The voice’s owner winced, coming to stand at his side. Axel wouldn’t lie, maybe it _was_ creepy - him, sitting in the dark, watching Roxas sleep. In fairness, Xion had fallen asleep first and Roxas had watched her sleep before dozing off himself so…

Regardless, Axel shrugged, stretching his arms above his head. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Wouldn’t I?” there was an edge to Hayner’s voice, eyes finally swapping to him. “Roxas was my friend too.”

Axel tutted, wagging a finger at him. “Yeah, can’t deny he was. But he wasn’t _taken_ from you. You wouldn’t even know about him if it wasn’t for Sora. Now me...well, I lost him more than once.”

“You’re...friends,” Hayner hedged.

“Yep. Took awhile too; Roxas isn’t exactly the friendly type.” Axel pushed himself to his feet, hand landing on Hayner’s shoulder. “And let’s be honest, we’re both here for the same reason.”

Hayner stiffened before gruffly nodding. 

They were here, both of them, because it felt like Roxas could slip away at any second. But they wouldn’t allow that to happen.

Never again.

 

***

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and hope you enjoyed! .xx Dan


End file.
